Data sources

Data:

Any price type

Method:

Admin enters prices observed on permitted public pages, with source URL and date

Permission:

Permitted

Reliability:

Depends on entry

Last successful update:

Never

The only active source at launch. Every record is reviewed before it is published.

Data:

Any price type, from datasets we are licensed to use

Method:

Admin CSV upload with stated permission basis

Permission:

Permitted

Reliability:

Depends on dataset

Last successful update:

Never

Each import records its permission basis. Imported rows start as pending and must be approved.

Data:

Manufacturer trade-in offers

Method:

Manual review only

Permission:

Manual recording only

Reliability:

High (official)

Last successful update:

Never

No public data feed.

Data:

Buyback offers

Method:

Manual review only

Permission:

Manual recording only

Reliability:

Medium

Last successful update:

Never

Site terms do not authorize automated collection. Quotes may be recorded manually with date and URL.

Data:

Manufacturer trade-in offers (often promotional)

Method:

Manual review only

Permission:

Manual recording only

Reliability:

High (official), often promotional

Last successful update:

Never

Offers usually require buying a new device; record as promotional trade-in credit when so.

Data:

Refurbished asking prices

Method:

Manual review only

Permission:

Manual recording only

Reliability:

Medium

Last successful update:

Never

Refurbished asking prices, not used-phone sales. No data license; manual reference only.

Data:

Manufacturer trade-in offers

Method:

Manual review only

Permission:

Manual recording only

Reliability:

High (official)

Last successful update:

Never

Terms prohibit automated extraction; no public feed. Quotes may be recorded manually with date and URL.

Data:

Static datasets

Method:

Not suitable

Permission:

Automated collection not permitted

Reliability:

Low

Last successful update:

Never

Datasets reviewed are static, often synthetic, and from non-US markets. Not suitable for public valuations.

Data:

Active asking prices (Browse API)

Method:

Official API (requires free developer account)

Permission:

Needs developer registration

Reliability:

Medium–High

Last successful update:

Never

Free Browse API gives ACTIVE asking prices only (no sold data). Finding API findCompletedItems was shut down Feb 2025. Marketplace Insights (sold data) is limited-release and rarely approved. License discourages long-term storage of eBay content, so it is not suitable for our stored history. Not connected.

Data:

Buyback offer comparison

Method:

None permitted

Permission:

Automated collection not permitted

Reliability:

Medium

Last successful update:

Never

robots.txt allows general crawling, but terms grant no data-reuse license. Has an affiliate program; a licensed data feed would need a written agreement. Not used.

Data:

Active asking prices

Method:

None permitted

Permission:

Automated collection not permitted

Reliability:

Medium

Last successful update:

Never

Active bot protection on every page and no public API. Automated collection not permitted. Not used.

Data:

Buyback offer comparison

Method:

None permitted

Permission:

Automated collection not permitted

Reliability:

Medium

Last successful update:

Never

Uses exclusive vendor feeds; no public API or reuse license. Would require a partnership.